Annual Granby bird count reports over 2,400 birds and 47 species
Information is sent to the National Audubon Society, and the results are used for analyses, peer-reviewed publications and reports

Michelle Cowardin/Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Every year, the National Audubon Society hosts the Christmas Bird Count, which is a community science event that counts birds across the nation to collect data about trends.
Granby held its 23rd annual bird count Dec. 14 and reported more than 2,400 birds spotted within a 7.5-mile radius around the U.S. Forest Service office in Granby.
Michelle Cowardin and Doreen Sumerlin have been running the Granby count since 2001. For the 2024-25 count, a total of 36 volunteers recorded 47 species and 2,490 individual birds while driving their assigned routes.
Cowardin, who is a wildlife movement coordinator, said volunteers typically see 30-50 species of birds and count an average of 2,000 birds every year in Granby, depending on the weather, which was warmer than normal this count, according to the report.
The 47 species that volunteers counted is more than the previous count, which reported 43 species. The last time 47 species were recorded was during the 2017-18 count.
A total of 295 Canada geese were spotted during the count, while a whopping 487 house sparrows were recorded. Other highlights for birders include two American kestrels — the smallest falcon in North America — and three green-winged teals.

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